grateful living: A Grateful Yes
Gratitude does not require us to understand the entire journey. Like Mary, we can trust God, thank Him for remaining with us, and take our next faithful step—even when the future is uncertain.
Yellow wildflowers growing among gray rocks in a mountain landscape in Yellowstone National Park.
A Thought to Begin
God is so powerful that He can draw good out of any evil. Thanking God in tough times is an act of faith in that promise.
—Reflection inspired by St. Augustine, as quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 311
Scripture
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”
— Luke 1:46–47, NABRE
Reflection
It is so easy to thank God for all the beautiful blessings in our lives.
God is good. He has blessed me with so much: good health, a loving spouse, good and kind children, a good job, and a beautiful home.
But when was the last time I thanked God during one of life’s uncertain situations?
What about illness, death, loss, or one of those hardships that simply stops us in our tracks?
I am not saying we should thank God that someone became ill or that someone we love died. We do not have to pretend that our suffering is good or that it does not hurt.
We can, however, thank God for staying with us through it all.
We know He will bring something good from even the most difficult situation.
Our Catholic faith teaches us that difficult and uncertain times can draw us closer to God. These moments help us see how dependent we truly are on God because they remove some of the distractions that get in the way of that relationship.
I have been blessed with the ability to find good in difficult situations.
That does not mean I do not grieve my losses, shed tears during uncertainty, or feel alone in times of darkness.
But somehow, I do not seem to lose hope completely.
I look for God.
Where can I find Him in this situation?
Where is the love?
What brings me a smile?
Where do I see light?
The most difficult time in my life was the death of my baby daughter, Caitlin. She lived a beautiful but very short three months. Her death brought me to my knees.
At face value, how could there ever be anything good in the death of a child?
Caitlin’s death was not good. Losing her was devastating. Yet it has been almost thirty years since Caitlin died, and I can tell you so many stories about how her short life changed the lives of others for the better.
Her life deepened the faith of others.
It changed the direction of people’s lives.
It helped others become more open to God’s invitation to love.
Her life also changed me and deepened my own relationship with God.
God did not take away my grief or make Caitlin’s death good. He stayed with me through my grief and helped me recognize the good that could grow from her beautiful life.
I wonder how Mary felt when the angel Gabriel visited her with news she most likely did not fully comprehend.
Scripture tells us that Mary was greatly troubled. Still, she trusted God and answered with her faithful yes:
“May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38)
Then, shortly afterward, in the presence of Elizabeth and with so much uncertainty about her future, Mary was able to proclaim:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.” (Luke 1:46–47)
Mary did not know how her entire journey would unfold. But she knew God. She trusted Him, thanked Him, and took her next faithful step.
Gratitude does not require us to understand the entire journey.
Like Mary, we can thank God, trust Him, and take the next faithful step—even while the future remains uncertain.
Living a grateful life allows us to find hope in all types of situations. It allows us to see that God is active in our lives. Even during the most difficult times, we can have hope.
It allows us to respond to God with a resounding YES.
Something to Think About…
“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NABRE (one of my favorite verses)
Is there a difficult or uncertain situation in my life where God may be drawing out something good?
Today, I will place this situation in God’s hands. I will thank Him for staying with me and ask for the grace to trust Him as I take my next faithful step.
Continue exploring Grateful Living
Grateful Living: Noticing God in the Ordinary
When was the last time you were astonished by something ordinary? A dear friend taught me how slowing down and paying attention can open our eyes to God’s love, and let that gratefulness overflow into the lives of others.
A Thought to Begin
“Let the gratefulness overflow into blessing all around you. And then it will really be a good day.”
Scripture
“How can we possibly give thanks to God for all the joy we feel…?”
Reflection
When was the last time you were astonished?
Maybe it was the beauty of the sunrise this morning, your children laughing as they played in the afternoon sun, an unexpected kindness you never saw coming, or something so ordinary you almost missed it.
These astonishments—and so many other signs of God’s love—surround us every day.
My dad always used to say to me, “Everybody has a story.”
He was right.
Our stories are made up of all our experiences—our joys and sadness, our excitement and challenges, and the many amazing ordinary moments that fill our days. When we learn to look closely at our stories, we begin to notice God in the small details.
A dear friend of mine, Deb, taught me the beauty of ordinary moments.
She did not need something dramatic to be filled with wonder. She was fully present to whoever was in front of her. She became excited about what was happening in their life, noticed the smallest details, and found joy in things most of us might have passed by.
Being with Deb made you feel seen.
Her delight was contagious. She had a way of saying, “Look!” without always using the word. She helped the people around her recognize that even the smallest moments could be filled with beauty, meaning, and joy.
It was Deb who first introduced me to Mary Oliver’s words and to Louie Schwartzberg’s TEDxSF talk, Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.
Looking back, that feels fitting. Deb did not simply tell me to notice the wonder around me.
She showed me how.
Unfortunately, our lives can become so filled with distractions that our view of these astonishments becomes blocked. We move quickly from one task to the next, thinking about what has already happened or worrying about what still needs to be done.
Meanwhile, God continues to surround us with signs of His love, patiently waiting for us to notice.
I have found that when I am filled with worry and stress and become closed off by my own thoughts, I stop noticing the things that once astonished me.
I hate to sound corny, but I stop seeing the beauty in the world. Life begins to feel plain, dull, worrisome, and just plain blah.
It can be difficult to break out of that cycle. I become so focused on my own stress and worry that I lose awareness of everything around me.
I become simply unaware.
The opposite of grateful living is not ingratitude.
It is unawareness.
That is when I need to pause and look again.
I need to notice what is in my life, who is in my life, and where God may be showing me His love.
As I begin to pay attention, wonder returns. The ordinary begins to feel extraordinary, and I recognize that God has been present all along.
Grateful living is more than simply seeing the good. It is the art of slowing down, paying attention to the little things, allowing ourselves to be filled with wonder and love, and then sharing that astonishment with others.
It is when we ask ourselves:
“God, was that You I just saw?”
God is always surrounding us. Grateful living opens our eyes, allowing us to see His presence in our ordinary, everyday lives.
This is the kind of life I want to live.
A life that notices God.
A life that receives His love with wonder.
A life that allows gratefulness to overflow into the blessings all around us.
Perhaps that is the invitation of grateful living: to slow down, open our eyes, and allow the wonder of God’s presence to change the way we move through the world.
When we begin to notice the blessings all around us, gratefulness does not remain quietly within us.
It becomes joy, kindness, generosity, and love.
It overflows.
Something to Think About…
Take a few minutes today to watch Louie Schwartzberg’s TEDxSF talk, Nature. Beauty. Gratitude.
As you watch, ask yourself: What ordinary blessing might God be inviting me to notice today, and how can I allow my gratefulness to overflow into someone else’s life?